HYDERABAD: Congress leaders and activists were detained on Wednesday during a “Chalo Lok Bhavan” protest in Hyderabad against the detention of Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday night.
Led by TPCC president Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud, the protesters marched from Necklace Road to Lok Bhavan. Ministers Damodar Rajanarasimha, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Mohammad Azharuddin and G Vivek Venkatswamy, government adviser Shabbir Ali, MLAs Danam Nagender, V Naveen Yadav and J Anirudh Reddy, MLC Balmoori Venkat and other Congress leaders participated in the rally, raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As the protesters reached Lok Bhavan, police stopped them. Tense scenes unfolded when several Congress leaders and workers attempted to climb barricades and move forward. Police detained Mahesh and several others and shifted them to Nampally police station, while some leaders were taken to Panjagutta police station.
Speaking to reporters, Mahesh alleged that Modi was trampling democracy and said it was inappropriate to govern the country using police force. Calling Rahul Gandhi the “future of India”, he said the Congress leader was fighting for students and youth.
“The Central government cannot suppress Rahul Gandhi’s voice by detaining him. Rahul Gandhi is a fighter. He is fighting for the people. No one can stop him. The Congress will continue to fight until it achieves victory,” he said.
‘Paid artists misleading public’
Mahesh alleged that the NEET paper leak had put the future of nearly 2.2 million students at risk and demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him responsible. He also criticised the arrest of Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition MPs for raising the issue of the alleged NEET paper leak, calling it an attack on democracy. He alleged that the Centre was attempting to suppress the democratic right to protest and mislead the public through “paid artists”, while asserting that the country’s youth stood firmly behind Rahul Gandhi.
Reiterating the party’s stand, he said the Centre must take responsibility for the alleged NEET paper leak and that the Congress would continue its agitation until justice was delivered to the students.